Authentic: Amidst a typical tourist day in Beijing, it was neither the Forbidden City’s grandeur nor its crowds enervated by the occasion; National Day in what is arguably the Mecca of China, that occasioned my wonderment. It was this moment in all its simplicity that offered a warm contentment - a familiar scene of the China I know and love. One which at first glance may resemble a pop up barber shop, but a closer look reveals it’s intentional and well devised presence. Note the elevated stoop fit for a chair, the conveniently located hook, the well positioned mirror, and the sound electrical outlet all cleanly finished with the barber jacket and hairdressing cape

Inspiring: It is moments like this that I am enamoured by China’s bustling street life which so beautifully blends the official with the unofficial and the deliberate with the haphazard, creating a magnificently manufactured landscape and sense of place that never fails to bring a smile to my face. To those who advocate opportunities in the West, it has been here in the streets of Beijing and Shanghai that I find my inspiration and mentors.